Advertisers commonly use mass-distributable packets to promote their products. These packets are distributed by mail, by insert into newspapers or other periodicals, by hand delivery, or otherwise.
Advertisers often wish to include a removable portion in the advertising materials. A removable portion is generally a piece of smaller dimensions than the packet, and is usually printed on a heavier stock. A removable portion can take the form of, by way of example and not by way of limitation, a facsimile credit card in a credit card advertisement; a discount card, such as for a certain dollar amount or certain percentage off the price of merchandise or services; a gift card; a loyalty card; or a temporary membership card for an organization such as a health club. Either the packet or the removable portion can be personalized in a variety of ways as is known in the art.
Removable portions are often used for promotional purposes in advertising, but can be used for other purposes and the present invention as described herein is not limited to removable portions used in advertising. For example, an organization could use the present invention to prepare actual membership cards or admission tickets.
One variety of the current practice calls for printing mass-distributable packets on a web press. The packets are prepared by printing the information to appear on the packets in a plurality of longitudinal areas extending parallel to the web, cutting the web longitudinally between the print patterns to form ribbons, superimposing the cut ribbons in a vertical registry, and then cutting the ribbons transversely to form the sets of printed pieces. The ribbons can be folded and cut in a variety of ways to create many different forms.
Because the removable portion is usually of a heavier stock paper than the advertising materials, the removable portion cannot be easily printed on the same web press at the same time as the advertising materials. Therefore, removable portions are printed separately, by known methods, and added to the packet in a “tip on” process. Accordingly, a separate printing apparatus is needed, either a web press or other printing machine, or an outside vendor must print the removable portions separately. The removable portions sometimes can be printed on the same web press that prints the packets, but not at the same time, since the removable portion is of a heavier stock than the main packet. Some printing equipment cannot print paper of the thickness desired for a removable portion, so a separate press is required, either in-house or at an outside vendor.
Problems arise in this current method of manufacture. Utilizing a second printing apparatus for the removable portion adds capital expense and labor costs. Using an outside vendor adds costs and creates quality control problems. Regardless of who prepares the removable portions or where the removable portions are printed, the tip-on process can cause alignment problems and increase make-ready time. Placing the preprinted removable portions in precise alignment on the advertising packets is difficult. The alignment problem is exacerbated if there is a need to turn the web to an upward angle in order to introduce a fold in the packet, after the removable portion has been married to the web.
Additionally, current practice calls for printing personalized information on the removable card or on the packet using an inkjet printer. The personalized information is therefore somewhat limited, such as the name and address of the recipient or the name and location of the nearest retail store for the advertiser. (The personalized information can be personalized to either the advertiser or the recipient or both.) It would be useful to be able to supply more detailed personalized information. It would also be useful to be able to track use of the removable portions by the recipients. For example, an advertiser can track a conventional discount coupon only by the number of coupons redeemed and the location of redemption. It would be useful if more demographic data were trackable, including by way of examples and not by way of limitation, the actual identity of recipients who redeemed the card or the postal codes of recipients who redeemed the cards. The conventional format does not permit these options.
Accordingly, there is a need for a less expensive, easily set up, single-pass system that minimizes the alignment problems and make-ready time for adding a removable portion to a packet of printed materials, and which allows for more detailed personalized information to be included on the removable portion and allows for this personalized information to be tracked. The present invention meets these needs.